Bicycle



2` Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. H. CLARK.

' BIGYGLB.

' (No-Modal.)

,(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

A. H. CLARK.

BIGYGLE.

10,506,626] Patentedoct. 10,1893..y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER H. CLARK, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO LOUIE H. CLARK, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,626, dated October 10, 1893.

, Application tiled June 30,1892. Serial No. 438,528. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concer-n.- l

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER H. CLARK, of Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in bicycles,-the object being to provide simple and efficient means whereby to propel a bicycle by hand power.

A further object is to'so construct and arrange the propelling devices that they may be readily started regardless of their relative positions to each other at the time of startin g.

A further object is to construct and arrange the propelling mechanism in such manner that the machine can be propelled at various lengths of strokes of the operating handle bars or levers.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a bicycle having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is adetached view of the propelling mechanism partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the brace which supports the vertical oscillatory shaft. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the extensible handle bars or operating levers. Fig. 5 is a detail View illustrating the clutch devices of the propelling mechanism. Fig. 6 is an end view of the seat.

A represents the spines of the machine, which carry the rear wheel B at their rear Vends,and C is the front fork which carries tthis sleeve the upper, forward ends ofthe spines'are secured. V j

To the upper end of theshank a an arm or handle D2 is secured, whereby to guide the' machine, said arm or handle being retained ley or wheel h is loosely mounted and in place by means of a nut o and washer c', located at the upper extremity of said shank.

Plates or arms d are located between the spines A in proximity to the horizontal portion thereof and supports a journal box E, through which the lower end of a vertical shaft F passes and in which a number of balls e are located and adapted to encircle said shaft. The interior wall of the journal 6o box E is screw-threaded for the reception of a similarly threaded annular cap E adapted to retain the balls e in place in the box. Thel vertical shaft F extends upwardly to a point within easy reach of the rider, where it is provided with handle bars or levers G, the details of construction of which will be explained farther on. v

Projecting from the sleeve D are sockceted bosses f in which two curved brace arms f 7o are secured, the other ends of said brace arms being inserted in socket bosses f2 projecting from a journal box E2, through which the vertical shaft F passes. By this means the upper end of the vertical shaft will be supported. 7 5

In the box E2, antifriction balls e are inserted and their escape is prevented by means of an annular cap e2 adapted to screw into the box E2 as shown in Fig. l.

Secured to and extending across the spines 8o A at a point in rear of the vertical shaft F, is a cross bar g, to which a depending spindle h is secured, and on the spindle h a pulro-4 vided with grooves j, j. The pulley or wlIiJeel h is provided lin one face with a recess h2, inl which balls hs are located, being retained .in place by an annular cap h4 adapted to screw' into the recess'in the pulley.

Mounted loosely o n the spindle h below the 9o wheel or pulley h and adapted to oscillate with said wheel or pulley, is a pinion or gear wheel k which is supported on the shaft by means of a cap lo which is screwthreaded to screw into the recess k2 in the lower face of 95 the gear wheel or pinion lo, and beneath the latter a nut las is's'crewed on the spindle,'mo" tion being imparted to said pinion from a segment 104 carried by the lower end of the shaft F, balls 105 being inserted in the recess k2.; roo

Depending from the spines A at pointslo-j cated forwardly from the axle of the y'rear 6 5, erally projecting portions of the seat are se- Wheel of the machine, are brackets Z which support xed shafts or spindles m. On the spindles m, sprocket wheels o are loosely mounted and provided with recesses for the accommodation of 'balls o. The inner faces of the sprocket wheels o are made with recesses o2 for the reception of disks p, which latter are loosely mounted on the spindle m. The disks 1J are made with V-shaped sockets 1o in which dogs p2 are loosely inserted, said dogs being adapted to have frictional contact with the annular walls p3 of the recesses o2 when the disks p are oscillated in one direction and to be free from contact with said Walls when the disks are oscillated in the reverse direction. Thus when the disks p are made to turn in one direction the sprocket wheels o will be made to rotate in one direction.

Looselj1 mounted on the spindles fm and secured to or made integral with the disks p, are pulleys q, each having a spiral groove q', in which one end of ropes or chains r, r are secured and adapted to work. The ropes or chains are passed over the wheel or pulley h', and secured and adapted to work in the grooves j, j', thereof. To the inner face of each pulley q, is a coiled spring s which encircles the spindle m and at its other end is secured to said spindle. When the disks p are turned to propel the sprocket wheels o, these springs serve to assist in returning them to their starting point. The sprocket wheels o are adapted to transmit motion to sprocket wheels t carried by the rear wheel of the machine, through the medium of a sprocket chain t. From this construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that when the vertical shaft F is oscillated by the manipulation of the handle bars or levers G the same motion will be imparted to the segment F3, and from it to the pinion kand pnlley or Wheel h', from which motion is imparted to the clutches through the medium of the ropes or chains fr, r.

By means of the driving mechanism above described the rear or drive wheel will be made to revolve rapidly with a comparatively small amount of exertion on the part of the rider.

A seat post 1 projects upwardly in proximity to the rear wheel of the machine, to the upper end of which a hollow goose neck 2 is adjustably secured. The horizontal portion of the goose neck or support 2 is llattened and made with an elongated slot 3. A plate 5 is located on the flattened portion of the goose neck and adj ustably secured thereto by means of a bolt 6 passing through 'the elongated slot 3. Secured at its forward end to the plate 5 is a curved spring 7, to the free end of which the rear end of the seat 8 is secured. Secured to the plate 5 at a point between its ends is a semi-elliptical spring 9, said spring being held by the bolt 6. To the ends of the semi-elliptical spring 9, the latcured. l

The handle bar or lever G is preferably made tubular and is provided in its upper portion with elongated slots G, which extend from points in proximity to the vertical shaft F to the extremities of the handle bars G. Within the hollow handle bars G are tubular bars G2, on the top faces of which notched plates G3 are secured and adapted to project into or through the elongated slots G. ferrule G5 is placed on the outer extremity of each handle bar G and provided with a recess G4 for the accommodation of the notched Yplates G3. On the outer ends of the bars G2, handles G6 are secured. Secured to the vertical shaft F is a spring or springs G7, having teeth G8 at their outer ends adapted to engage the notched plate G3. By this means the handle bars are made extensible, and they can be readily made longer or shorter by the rider while riding. The bars G2 will be prevented from turning in the tubular bars G by the notched plate G3 en tering the elongated slots G.

The machine is very simple in construction, easy riding and effectual in the performance of all its functions.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. In a bicycle, the combination with a frame, drive Wheel having sprocket wheels on its axle, loosely mounted spocket wheels, chains extending from the latter around the wheels on the axle, and clutch mechanism for alternately engaging the loosely mounted sprocket wheels, of an upwardly projecting oscillatory shaft having handles at the upper end and a segment at its lower end, a pulley or drum, a flexible connection extending from the latter to the clutches, and a gear wheel connected with the pulley or drum, its teeth adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the segment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle, the combination with the spines, of a journal box carried thereby, balls Y located within said journal box, a vertical shaft passing through said journal box, a j ournal box having balls therein through which the upper end of the vertical shaft passes, braces connecting the last mentioned journal box with the shank of the front fork of the machine, and means for transmitting motion fromsaid shaft to the rear wheel of the machine, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bicycle, the combination with the spines and the front fork, of a vertical shaft,

a journal box for said shaft located near itsupper end and having balls therein, curved brace arms connecting said journal box with the shank of the front fork and means for transmitting motion from said vertical shaft to the rear wheel of 'the machine, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bicycle, the combination with a shaft or upright, of'tnbular horizontal bar at the upper end thereof, said bar having elongated slotst-herein, notched bars located with said',

IOO

IIO

tubular bar, handles secured to said notched bars, and anspring secured to the shaft or upright and having teeth therein to engage the notched bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a bicycle, the combination with a shaft or upright, of a tubular handle bar at theup` per end thereof, said bar having elongated slots therein, hars located with said tubular bar and adapted to slide therein, handles secured to the sliding bars, a notched plate secured to said sliding bar and adapted to project into the slots in the handle bars, aspring ALEXANDER H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

PHILIP B. WAHL, B. B. CLAWsoN. 

